Chasing The Pain Away
by Kris Wright
Summary: This is my take on the boat storyline in episode 10. RR


A/N: Here I am again! Enjoy!

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"What?" Lorelai asked Liz.

"Luke doesn't like the boat because he fell out of it and almost drowned."

"Oh my God." Lorelai sat down next to her boyfriend's sister. "H-how old was he?"

She shrugged. "About eight. I remember seeing it. My mother and I were on the shore watching my dad teaching Luke how to fish, and then the next thing I know, Luke's falling in 'cause he was leaning over to grab his line."

Lorelai put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. "Oh my God. I'm the worst girlfriend in the world."

"You are not," Liz said while reassuringly rubbing Lorelai's back. "There are just some things my brother never reveals about himself. That's why you got me."

Lorelai looked up at Liz with a small smile and eyes filled with tears. "I need to get rid of that boat, huh?"

She nodded. "It would be wise."

Lorelai stood up and Liz joined her. She wrapped her arms around her. "Thanks so much. I just hope he doesn't find out."

Liz smiled. "He won't hear it from me."

She left and rushed straight to Sookie and Jackson's house. Lorelai talked to Jackson about moving the boat out, and they agreed on the next morning. She then ran back home to get ready for her date with Luke for that evening.

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"Come on. Who does not love Farmer Ted?" Lorelai asked as they pulled up to her house.

"I do. He was an annoying little kid who needed to be shown that sex isn't everything," Luke replied as he got out to open Lorelai's door.

"Says the man who gets lucky almost every night."

"That's different. I'm much older than that kid."

Lorelai smiled at him as they walked toward the front door. "You're adorable."

"I could say the same about you."

"Luke." Lorelai stopped walking at the bottom of the steps and grabbed his hand. She looked deeply into his eyes and then leaned in and kissed him sweetly.

When she pulled away Luke was smiling. "What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Just for being you."

Luke looked around. "You know, you really need to get your yard cleaned up. It's going to snow soon."

Lorelai grinned. "I know. I feel it."

"Would you like me to clean it up now?"

"And then you'll come upstairs and get _really_ lucky." Luke gave her his signature eye roll as Lorelai's grin grew larger.

"I should go over to my place and get my rake."

"No need. I have one."

"You?"

"Yeah. I bought one the other day."

"Are you serious?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"Uh, yeah. I am capable of buying yard tools."

"Well, we'll see how well you did. Where is it?"

"In the garage, although you may have to look in the back cause the boat's taking up most of the front," Lorelai said nonchalantly.

"What?"

Lorelai suddenly realized what she said and stared at him. "What?"

"You just said boat. When did you get a boat?"

"Uh... you know. Here... There..."

Luke furrowed his brows in confusion and then suddenly realized what boat it was. "You bought my boat?"

"What? No. I remember you saying to didn't want it s-"Lorelai stopped speaking because Luke suddenly turned around toward the garage. "No. No. Luke!" He stormed over to the doors and pulled them open. He caught sight of the boat and was suddenly overcome with rage. He turned to his right and crossed his arms over his chest. Lorelai had made her way over to him and stood in front of him. "Luke, I-"

"Why do you have this, Lorelai?"

"Because I-"

"Did you think I'd be happy that you bought _my_ boat?"

"We-"

"I'm not! You were there when I said I wanted it gone! Why did you have to do this?"

"Luke, I thought it was what you wanted."

"You have no respect for what I want. I did not want this boat. I did not say I wanted this boat. Did you miss something I said?"

"No. Luke, please," Lorelai said putting her hands on Luke's arms. "I didn't know the real reason why you wanted it gone. I thought you were just mad and that you'd regret getting rid of it. I didn't know..."

"You didn't know what, Lorelai?" Luke asked angrily.

"About..." she said weakly.

"Liz told you, didn't she?" Lorelai nodded. "Damn it! This is exactly why I didn't want her here!"

"Why?" Lorelai screamed suddenly gaining her voice. "If she wouldn't have told me I never would have found out because you are like a closed book! I can't read you, Luke! You're too mysterious! I don't anything about you or your past. It's bad enough that you can read my thoughts and expressions. I can't even figure out what you really feel about anything!"

Luke took a deep breath and looked Lorelai in the eyes. "If you wouldn't have butted in, things would have been fine. I would have eventually revealed myself to you, and you know that," he said calmly. Lorelai frowned at him. "I need to go, I just can't look at you right now."

"No, no, please," Lorelai pleaded as Luke walked away. She watched as he drove away and suddenly her eyes were filling with tears. She looked down the road where he had gone and suddenly noticed Babette staring at her through her window. She knew that by tomorrow everyone would know about their fight and start assuming the worst. She closed the doors to the garage and headed inside where she could cry without anyone watching her.

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Early the next morning Luke was in a bad mood. He had yelled at Caesar twice and had ignored Kirk. Sookie soon came in with a smile on her face. She sat at the counter and looked at him. "Hey Luke. You don't look good. Are you ok?"

He clenched his jaw. "I'm fine. Coffee?"

"Uh, Luke, honey. I'm pregnant, I can't have coffee."

"Tea?"

"Sounds good." She picked up a menu and looked at the offered meals. When Luke came back with her tea she set down the menu and made eye contact. "Did you have a fight with Lorelai?" Luke rolled his eyes and lightly grabbed Sookie's upper arm and pulled her to the storage room. "Wow, I've never been in here before. Oh, you really should let me-"

"Sookie."

She looked up at him and put down the can of pickles she was holding. "Sorry."

"I had a fight with Lorelai, last night."

"What about?"

"She had my dad's boat."

"So? I don't understand why that's such a big deal, but I guess it's huge enough for Lorelai to get rid of it."

"What?"

"Didn't she tell you? She came by yesterday and talked with Jackson about taking it to the dump."

"She did? What time?"

Sookie shrugged as she picked up a can of Grey Poupon and examined it. "Around four, I guess."

Luke nodded and quickly walked out of the room.

"Hey! Can I have one of these?" Sookie called after him. She shrugged and opened the can. She then opened up a jar of pickles and dipped a pickle into the mustard and started to eat it.

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Luke arrived at Lorelai house and found Lorelai's jeep in the driveway and Jackson truck nowhere to be seen. He walked over to the garage and opened the door. He saw the boat just how it was left the previous night. He walked over to it and put his hand on it. Suddenly thoughts of that day filled his head and he pulled his hand away. Luke sighed and silently walked out of the garage and toward Lorelai's front door. He found the spare key and opened the door. He had been doing this for a few weeks and he knew Lorelai wouldn't mind.

He crept up to her bedroom and saw peaceful face staring at him. He leaned in front of her and tucked her hair behind her ear. Lorelai stirred and looked at him. She slowly smiled. "Hey. I had a weird dream last night. You and I had our first fight over your dad's boat." She yawned. "Crazy, huh?"

Luke sighed. "I'm sorry, Lorelai."

Concern grew on her face. "What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," he said shaking his head. "I just hit self-defensive mode when somebody does something I don't like. I told you I hated surprises."

She smiled. "I was stupid. I should have just let you move on. I should win the worst girlfriend award."

"Nah. You're the best girlfriend. I know you bought that boat because you didn't want me to regret giving it away later." He looked into her eyes. "What you said was true, though. I'm not an open person. I never was."

Lorelai grabbed his hand. "Luke, I don't want you to be someone you're not. I do know that in time I'll know everything there is to know about you. I'll know you better than Liz. And you'll know me better than Rory."

"Now that's impossible."

"Probably. But I just want you to know that I'm always here for you, ok?"

He nodded and lightly kissed. "Ok."

She smiled at him. "Great. So, make-up sex?"

Luke grinned at her. "You're on."

"Dirty!"

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A/N: All right. There you go. How was it? Review please! Much love! Au revoir for now!


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